1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus having a configuration that a record medium having an image recorded thereon in an image recording section is conveyed by a conveyor belt and then separated from the conveyor belt in a separating section.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-256790 discloses an inkjet recording apparatus including an endless conveyor belt that adsorbs a record medium on the external surface thereof by electrostatic action, and a recording head that records an image by ejecting ink droplets on the record medium adsorbed to the external surface of the conveyor belt. In this inkjet recording apparatus, a plurality of conveyor belts are looped around a drive roller and a driven roller in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of a record medium with a predetermined space therebetween. This inkjet recording apparatus includes a separation guide having a body plate and a plurality of teeth extended from the body plate toward the upstream in the conveyance direction. The body plate is disposed further downstream from the drive roller positioned downstream form the recording head. Each of the teeth extended from the body plate is positioned between two of the conveyor belts adjacent to each other. The plurality of teeth of the separation guide contact the lower face of a record medium conveyed by the plurality of conveyor belts, thereby separating the record medium from the conveyor belts, to forward the record medium to the body plate. That is, peeled from the plurality of conveyor belts by the plurality of teeth of the separation guide, the record medium is separated from the plurality of conveyor belts, irrespective of the radius of curvature of the conveyor belts. Therefore, separation of a record medium from the plurality of conveyor belts can be ensured without a need of consuming power, while allowing the plurality of conveyor belts to last longer.
However, in the inkjet recording apparatus of the above publication, the body plate of the separation guide is positioned downstream from the conveyor belts, and a feed roller and a spur roller are paired and are positioned further downstream from the body plate. This results in a long length of the inkjet recording apparatus in the conveyance direction of a record medium, which is against recent demands for downsizing an inkjet recording apparatus.